I've got this lodge cast iron pan I've been using for about 2 years now, and somehow food keeps sticking and burning on the bottom. I've tried scrubbing with steel wool but I'm worried I'm taking off the seasoning. What's the safest way to get it clean without stripping everything?
The best approach is to use hot water and a stiff brush or chainmail scrubber while the pan is still warm - this lifts stuck food without damaging seasoning the way steel wool can. For really stubborn buildup, you can make a paste with coarse salt and a bit of oil, scrub gently with that, then rinse and dry completely. If nothing else works, a quick soak in hot water (not overnight) followed by scrubbing should loosen things without stripping your seasoning, since two years of use means you've built up a decent layer. The key is avoiding prolonged soaking and making sure you dry it immediately after cleaning and maybe add a thin coat of oil while it's still warm.
I've found that the real game-changer is letting the pan cool just slightly, then deglazing it with a splash of water or vinegar while it's still hot - the steam loosens the crud way better than scrubbing does, and you barely need to touch it with a brush afterward. If that doesn't cut it, a paste of coarse salt and a tiny bit of oil works like gentle sandpaper that won't wreck your seasoning the way steel wool does.
Steel wool isn't necessarily your enemy if you're gentle with it - the real problem is usually that the seasoning wasn't thick enough to begin with, so any scrubbing feels destructive. I had the same sticky-bottom issue with mine, and what actually fixed it was realizing I needed to build up more layers rather than baby the pan I had. After doing some high-heat cooking with oil, the seasoning got tougher and food stopped adhering like that. For the baked-on stuff right now, try a paste of coarse salt and a tiny bit of oil, scrub gently in circular motions, then rinse and dry immediately - it's abrasive enough to lift burnt bits but won't wreck a decent seasoning layer. Does your pan smoke up pretty quickly when you heat it, or does food still seem to catch even on a well-oiled surface?
Had the same sticking problem after a year or so - turned out I wasn't letting the pan heat up enough before cooking, which meant food was grabbing the surface before it could slide. But if you've already got baked-on stuff, the chainmail scrubber approach works solid because it's gentler than steel wool while still getting leverage. That said, if your seasoning's thin enough that you're nervous about any scrubbing at all, you might just accept stripping it back completely and re-seasoning from scratch - sounds like a hassle but honestly takes less time than worrying about every cleaning session, and then you know you've got a proper base underneath.
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